Typical cutting surfaces on cutting devices are primarily rigid edges such as those found on knives and razors. This makes it difficult and unsafe to use them for cutting near or on irregularly shaped or compliant or flexible substrates or surfaces. For example typical razors do not easily conform to natural shape variations, curvatures, folds, etc. In addition there is great difficulty in removing or cutting hair from narrow or tightly constrained surfaces and crevices such as the ears and nose. Other areas where current cutters are problematic are in pet hair trimming, body hair removal in general, and any other areas where protruding fibers, strands, or other protrusions need to be cut from a flexible, conformable or non-rigid, or smooth surface.
One attempt to address this need has been flexible or pivot head razors. These do not allow the cutting surface of the cutter to be compliant with flexible or convoluted hair- or fiber-bearing surfaces on which the blade is being used. Consequently flexible or pivot-head razors have not adequately addressed the need for effective cutting of hair or fiber on non-rigid, irregularly shaped or smooth surfaces such as those found on the face and other regions of the body and in tightly constrained areas and crevices.
Another attempt to address this has been in electric cutting devices, such as electric razors with rotating blades. Here, again, the actual cutting blade is rigid and the device relies on pivot heads to get the spinning rigid blades to conform to a non-rigid, irregularly shaped or smooth surface such as a face or other body surface. The performance of such electric razors leaves much to be desired especially where the area for hair or fiber to be cut from has convolutions, crevices or an irregular shape or surface.
Still another attempt to address this has been in systems that provide a material or process to actually remove, rather than cut the protruding fiber or hair. These systems are typically specific for protein fibers such as hair, and contain noxious chemicals, such as thioglycolates, to promote digestion of the protein and, require considerable time and temperature, and are typically quite expensive.
Accordingly, a need exists for a compliant cutting surface for cutting surface hair or fiber from a non-rigid, irregularly shaped or smooth, hair- or fiber-bearing surface.